


there is no crime in being kind

by pxrcival



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, mental breakdowns, minecraft au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-06 14:49:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1861875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pxrcival/pseuds/pxrcival
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(not everyone is out to screw you over • maybe yeah, just maybe they just want to get to know ya)</p><p>Achievement City is a puzzle, and with a piece missing, it can't function. They can try, but no matter what, things will twist and slip out of their fingers before they can stop them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. and the sky is clear

Achievement City. The creation of two men who found eachother when the books told them it was impossible. For everyone knew Minecraftia was infinite, while mankind was not. But the odds were kind to them - and it seemed they would be forever, because it didn't end there. Together, they built from the ground up, day and night to create the tower that would signal to anyone else out there that they were not alone. And if they came to the place with the giant star painted on the ground, they'd find companionship for life.

In their hearts, Jack and Geoff knew it wouldn't work. Even a tremendous structure like that was but a speck of dust compared to the rest of the world. So they accepted their fate with a smile and a shrug. Not quite living, but bringing one another survival.

Then he found them. Or, more accurately, they found him, but Gavin preferred the version where he burst into the camp valiantly to save the pair from an army of skeletons and zombies. The truth was, the first time the three of them met, Geoff almost mistook the boy for a creeper and tried to kill him on the spot. The biggest storm they'd seen in years raged overhead, the rain making it impossible to see. When they'd found a creeper-coloured heap, instinct overcame their curiosity at the odd behavior, and it was only when they heard the 'creeper' sobbing did they realize. And oh, did they realize.

It took them ten minutes to drag him back to rest in one of the tents, trying their hardest to stop even the smallest drop of rain from hitting what could be their last chance of freedom. Hours passed with the pair forced into a tent that was cramped enough with just one person inside it, waiting for sunrise.

And as the rain faded, seemingly chased away by the rising sun, they heard it. The British accent.

"'Ello? Anyone? Where the bloody hell am I?"

And with that, Jack and Geoff found the boy who would lead them past surviving, and instead into a bright future of living. It took him hardly any time to become used to the small camp, a couple of days at most. And each night they sat around a small fire, talking for the first time about...well anything and everything that came to mind. While Jack and Geoff were generally linear and focused, Gavin was not, his presence alone enough to send their conversations on all kinds of tangents. But for all his rambling, the one thing they'd never gotten out of him was where he'd come from, why he'd kept a safe distance from the fire the second he'd seen lit, how he'd survived being surrounded by monsters while the rain hammered down. They both had their theories, of course, but when Jack had gently asked, it was like everything in Gavin switched off. He'd pushed his knees up to his chest and stayed silent until the flames died down and the trio headed to bed.

He'd been fine the next morning, excitedly continuing to map out plans for the new and improved houses he and Geoff had been working on together, acting like nothing had happened at all.

They didn't ask again, and Gavin slowly brought them life.

The second person to stumble upon Achievement City did so in a much less dramatic way. He'd emerged from the trees, took one glance around the clearing, then placed a rose at his feet. Months later, he'd explain that was his way of announcing his arrival, but to an unaware Geoff, all he'd seen was a possible madman that pulled him into a handshake, flashing a charming smile that said it all: I'm not going anywhere.

"Names Ray Narvaez Jr, but just call me Ray." The way Ray said it made it clear he'd expected the man to call him something else, which earned him a raised eyebrow. Then, after a few moments, a nod.

"Geoff. Welcome to Achievement City."

And that was that. Soon enough, a fourth tent was pitched, shitty and small like the other three. Putting it up was like slotting another piece into their puzzle, and it was with satisfaction that Geoff noticed the space was finally starting to fill up. Nights became more lively, Ray's fast wit and unending sarcasm proving to be just what they needed. While Gavin's stupidity was enough to make them chuckle, Ray was able to reduce them to tears from laughing too hard in seconds. Even Gavin, who ended up as the punchline most of the time, found his jokes hilarious.

Over time, it became more and more obvious that really, that was his intention all along. The light that came into his eyes every time the Brit so much as smiled said it all. And Ray brought them laughter.

After that, the arrivals seemed to stop. None of them really minded - they were content with what they had, lazy days and banter by a fire. Ray continued to stare at Gavin, Geoff and Jack pretended they didn't notice, and Gavin stayed as oblivious as ever. The houses stayed planned but never built, though Geoff had moved into the giant tower in an attempt to free up space. For a month, they continued in routine, taking turns to gather basic materials and hunt and then goofing off whenever they weren't doing a job.

Their lives continued like that for about two months. It'd been a nice and sunny morning when Michael arrived, shouting angrily at the thick forest behind him. Gavin had been the only one home at the time, since Ray, Geoff and Jack were all out getting various resources. He'd tried to

be quite and careful, but inevitably tripped and fell onto his face. The cry of pain caused the other boy to whip around, sword raised in a defensive position.

"...What the fuck?"

"Ah, bollocks! Made myself look a right mess, eh?" Gavin had laughed as he forced himself to his feet, crossing the clearing quickly to shake Michael's hand.

"...What the fuck."

"I'm Gavin! Free. Gavin Free, I mean! That's my name. A-Anyway, welcome to...Achievement City! Sorry for the shitty welcome, but everyone's out doing whatever. They'll be back soon though! I think? Bloody hell, I slept for a whole day! Did we get hammered last night or something?! Oh w-"

"Holy shit, shut the FUCK UP."

Behind the pair, three emerged from the trees. One took a single look at Michael and Gavin and promptly burst out laughing.

It soon became a running joke between Jack, Ray, and especially Geoff that they'd heard the redhead before they saw him. That night around the fire was the loudest they'd ever had, Michael audibly complaining about the 'shitting living conditions he'd ever had the misfortune to lay his eyes on, goddamn it', and it only got worse once he'd discovered they'd been there for almost five months.

"Fucking A, don't you people have any building ability at all?! Did that giant-ass tower just appear out of nowhere, or what? Don't any of you care about where you sleep?" When silence answered him, Michael continued. "Well, I do. That's why we're fixing some shit up. You're lucky I have iron crap. Speaking of tools...There was shit all out there, besides a few paths. Have you seriously done no exploring? An infinite world and you just sit around on your asses all day? God damn it!"

"...Minecraftia is infinite?" Gavin's eyes had been full of wonder, as if he hadn't picked up on anything else Michael had said.

The redhead gave him an exasperated look that quickly turned to anger. "Holy shit. Did you actually just say that. Did those words seriously just come out of your mouth. How fucking stupid are you? Yes, Minecraftia is infinite! Everyone knows that! Jesus christ!"

Gavin stayed completely silent for the rest of the night. Ray tried to ignore the fact that if his best friend wasn't sleeping, he was hovering around a certain asshole. Geoff noticed. Jack built. And Michael brought them energy.

Another month passed them by, the plans to build finally being put into action. They seemed to bicker more often, but Gavin insisted that was healthy for them all. Ray told hom he'd been hanging around Michael too much. Gavin went red.

The first full, finished house was Gavin's, and through all five of their efforts combined, the others soon followed suit. Michael had slowly become more attatched to the group, and one night he even offered to build a new house for Geoff (who'd politely declined, saying he'd grown attatched the tower). The only person who hadn't accepted the redhead by then was Ray, who seemed to be doing everything he could to make Michael feel exiled. He'd totally refused help on building, making his own place (out of dirt, insisting it was more homely), barely talked to him unless they were on a job together, and every single time he'd seen Gavin and Michael together, he'd barged over and pulled his friend away, making up whatever bullshit excuse he could just to seperate them. But slowly, Ray could tell he was just cutting himself off from the rest of the group. He was too jealous - no, no, he was stubborn, he was too stubborn to give in, even if it drove him to being alone again. He just needed someone who understood.

So when a man with an unnerving glint in his eyes waltzed into the city, Ray could've cried - even more so when he took one look at Michael mid-rant and frowned.

"I hate loud people." His voice had been low, daring someone to oppose him. All five of them went quiet. And Ray had felt his hopes soar...

...Only to have them dropped again when the man burst out laughing.

"H-Holy shit! That was fucking priceless. I'm Ryan, and I like the look of this place, so you can just call me your newest citizen."

Nobody had argued. Geoff would later confess he'd thought about it, but eventually decided that maybe it'd be good to have someone like him. No one pointed out that Ryan had only said a few words at that point, because they didn't need to; it was more amusing to let the oldest man believe they didn't all know he had been scared shitless. The days from Ryan's arrival seemed to go faster, and they became even more eventful, thanks to the sudden forest fires and large influx of animals. Nobody asked Ryan to stop. After a week, he did. It was a test, one that they'd passed. And Ryan brought them contrast.

It was a few nights later, when Ryan's house had been finished (a storage dirt shack that they'd converted) and they were gathered around yet another fire to celebrate, did Geoff realize. He glanced over at Jack, glad to see the same proud look in his eyes that he felt in his heart. They'd done it. They truly had beaten the odds, and though they hadn't been the first or the most

glamorous - Michael and Ray turned out to be from small towns like their own - it was obvious what they had was special.

Geoff and Jack's survival skills, the base of the home they'd created.

Gavin's honesty and determination that inspired life in everyone around him.

Ray's quick wit and humour that kept them going on rough days.

Michaels energy that kept them all moving and active, that let them see awe-inspiring sights.

Ryan's....well, Ryan-ness that ensured there was never a dull moment.

Looking over their gathering of people, Geoff knew, like he knew that the sky was blue and the grass was green, that their puzzle was finally complete. They still had little things to work out, still had hurdles to cross that they couldn't quite see yet, but he had faith. Faith in his friends that they would make it, no matter what. They would all be just fine.

And then Gavin went missing.


	2. one track mind like a goldfish

The morning he woke up on the worst day of his life, Michael Jones had been feeling pretty good. The night before had been their one-year anniversary celebration, and Gavin and Geoff had apparently spent around a week making enough alcohol to get them all (excluding Ray) completely wasted, and then some. Well...it was to say that by the end of the night, they were completely out. His head hurt, and the sun was too goddamn bright, but last night he'd...

Well, he couldn't remember exactly, but he knew it'd been good. Good enough to make up for the splitting headache and overwhelming sick feeling in his stomach. He took a deep breath in and heaved himself up, taking in the familiar sight of his untidy bedroom, the rumpled covers beside him- 

Wait. 

He slept alone.

It was then his brain decided to kick itself into gear, pushing through the alcohol-induced haze. He remembered laughing, staring, pulling on someone who in turn pushed him. He remembered feeling...nervous, giggly school-girl nervous. He remembered hands laced into his and a warm body beside him, clinging tightly until they fell asleep together.

And as he remembered, a warm feeling spread throughout him, yet the oddest thing about the memories were he couldn't remember who they were about until the very last moment, when his eyes widened and his jaw dropped and he suddenly felt very, very flustered because not only did he remember the happiest night of his goddamn life, he remembered blond-brown hair and green eyes. He remembered Gavin.

He continued to stare at the empty space beside him, trying desperately to remember more than just moments and feelings. Nothing resurfaced, and he cursed himself for getting so drunk. Why hadn't he asked Ray to keep an eye on him-

Oh shit, Ray! 

The hangover slammed back into him full-force the second he tried move, but Michael had never been beaten by one before, and after a moment to collect himself, he forced himself to his feet and stormed out of the door.

"Ray!" He shouted, not caring whether or not he woke any of the others. He'd break down doors if he had to - right now, all he cared about was knowing how badly he'd fucked up.

"What the fuck." Behind him, Ray slipped out of the trees, buckets of water in each hand. At the sight of the fuming Michael he slowly placed them down and crossed his arms, eyeing the redhead warily. He and Ray had never really gotten along, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"You. Asshole. Here, now." He snapped. The younger man rolled his eyes and strolled across the clearing, arms still crossed.

"Yeah, Michael?" He went to reply, but the Puerto Rican cut him off with a smirk. "Cut your finger? Ran out of water? Couldn't find the other sock?"  
Nornally, he'd have punched Ray out and stormed off by now, but the circumstances meant he had to just grit his teeth and ignore him. He opted to curl his hands into fists instead, stepping towards the other in a way he hoped was threatening.

"You're the only fucking person here who doesn't drink. So you'll remember what happened last night, right? So-"

"No." For the second time, Ray cut him off. His eyes were narrowed now, and the condescending tone was gone. He glanced away, and continued. "I don't remember shit because I wasn't there. The sight of you dicking around while drunk gets old after a while, y'know?"

Michael rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to tell the boy he was a shit liar when suddenly the words stuck to his throat and he was cut off for the third time that week. His limbs were turning to stone but that didn't stop him from moving, shoving Ray to the side and charging into the forest. The younger man stumbled, fell, then sprang to his feet to follow after Michael and the sound of Gavin screaming. 

Together they scrambled across rocks and trees and vines, feeling a mutual mixture of building terror and relief as the pained yelling got louder, got closer, because that meant they were nearing the source. It also meant, however, that something was seriously wrong. Gavin was a dick, but he wasn't stupid. Screaming so loud and so long in a monster-filled forest was basically killing yourself. The risk wasn't worth even the greatest of pranks. Gavin knew this. All of them did. There was no doubt about it: the Brit was in danger.

Above them, the sky grew darker and rain began to fall. Michael cursed and tried to ignore the fact that now, there was nothing stopping the monsters that inhabited the forest from eating them alive. They were weaponless, and there was no time to stop and go back for supplies. Every step they took in the dark woods was a step closer to trouble.

His lungs were burning and his skin felt like it was on fire from the twigs that whipped against it, but he couldn't stop. Gavin was hurt. Gavin was yelling and screaming and begging for whatever had him to stop. Panic made it hard to breathe, and a quick glance at Ray proved he was having the same thoughts. He had to do something, anything, because at the rate they were going, they weren't going to make it. 

Both of them knew calling out to him was a bad idea. They also didn't care. 

"Gavin! I'm coming, boi!" His voice almost broke halfway through, and he wished it wasn't obvious just how fucking scared he was, but he knew Gavin heard it. 

"I'm here too, Vav! Hang in there!" Ray yelled seconds later, and Michael took silent comfort in the fact that he sounded as scared as he was.

"Michael? R-Ray? No, fuck, no, please, don't-" The string of words broke into another sharp scream that turned his blood to ice, and then...

Silence.

Michael felt his heart stop. The two of them sped up, blindly following the trail. Without a sound to follow, the search was near impossible, but neither of them were about to give up. It was a blessing and a curse when they broke into the clearing, trembling hands raised to attack. 

The sight that met them could only be described as horrifying. Blood covered the floor, grass was kicked up, and all around them was the smell of death. A broken diamond sword lay off to the side. Michael didn't need to look closer to tell it belonged to the Gavin. And in the middle of it all was a familiar cloak, folded perfectly and stained a deep, dark red.

Whatever had happened, one thing was for sure. He and Ray were the only ones there.

Beside him, Michael heard Ray retch (or maybe it was a sob, he couldn't tell) and fall to his knees. His own vision began to swin and he soon collapsed too, pressing his head against the oddly warm floor, trying to convince himself that this was a dream, just a dream and his hands clenched, grabbing handfuls of bloodied blades of grass, tearing them away from the ground and into the air, just a dream, just a dream, wake up Michael, fucking wake up-

-

Michael wakes up in a bed that isn't his own. He glances around and takes a few slow seconds to recognize the tall stone walls of Geoff's house. In another bed next to him lies Ray, and the loud snoring tells him Geoff is here too. His head feels blank, empty, and he doesn't know why, but he does know it feels quite blissful. He hums to himself and goes to scratch his head, wondering how he ended up here, but the second his fingers brush against his hair his vision blurs and his mind manages only three thoughts before it shuts down again.

The air is warm, the sheets aren't, and Gavin is gone.

When he next wakes up, he isn't given the pleasure of being blissfully unaware. The memories of the day before pour into his mind like lava, vivid and burning hot. His eyes fly shut at the pure shock of it. Seconds later he buries his hands in his hair and tries to block out the screams that play over and over in his mind. It feels like hours later when he hears someone far away shout his name. Then there's someone on his bed, gently pulling away his hands and whispering comforts to him. It's almost nice, but the second his hands leave his head, it's like a floodgate has opened. There's no barrier, nothing to hold onto, just him and the sound of Gavin screaming.

For the second time that night, Michael forgets where he is. In that moment, he's young and lost in the forests surrounding his home. Terror begins to fuel his movements. He breaks out of the ball he hadn't realized he'd curled into and lashes out. He cracks an eye open and sees a zombie- no, not a zombie at all, Geoff- stumble backwards, cradling his nose. Reality comes back to him. His vision goes black. 

-

Ray wakes up a day after Michael. Geoff is there, sat between their beds like some weird half-asleep guardian angel. The thought of Geoff being any kind of heavenly entity makes him smile, but it only manages to stay for a few seconds before it dies. He can't pretend he doesn't remember, or that nothing happened, because he does and it did. 

Geoff chooses that moment to look over at him, and in a second he's by Ray's side. 

After that, Michael spends the next few days in a coma-like sleep. Nobody wanted to wake him in case he had a breakdown like the past two times, so the rest of the group takes turns to watch him. On the fourth day day, the redhead takes a sharp breath and sits up quickly. Jack and Ray hold their breath and pray he doesn't explode again. He doesn't - just looks over at them, eyes sad, and asks them if Gavin is still gone. Ray nods. Jack gives him a wary pat and leaves, telling Ray to 'give him his space'.

He doesn't. Partly out of fear that Michael would do something stupid, partly because he feels weirdly comforted being around the only other person that understood what it was. Geoff, Ryan and Jack could offer all the empathies they wanted, but it didn't change the fact that they hadn't been the ones to hear the screaming, hadn't seen the peaceful clearing coated in blood, in Gavin's blood, didn't have to deal with the thoughts and memories-

A hand on his shoulders brings him back. It's sudden, but the sight of Michael's face, marred with concern, is better than any image his mind could conjure up. He breathes an apology and tells him he's fine, then tries to edge him back towards his bed. Michael doesn't budge. Judging from his facial expression, the redhead doesn't believe him.

Somehow, Ray doesn't believe it either. But just a few days ago, he and Michael weren't on good terms, and the reality was that an experience like that wasn't exactly going to improve it.

"Honestly. I'm good, man. Go back to bed."

"No." Ray almost winces. Michael's voice sounds raw, and he knows it's because of the screams. They tore up his throat, but he couldn't stop. He whimpered in his sleep, sometimes sobbed, but they were still better than the nightmares that reality brought. 

The hand leaves his shoulder after a moment, and Ray expects Michael to turn and go back to bed. He does - just not to his own. The springs beneath him creak at the weight of another person, but neither of them particularly care. 

For a while, they just sit in silence.

Then Michael tells him about the nightmares. About how they were memories, but not of the day they lost Gavin. No, he dreams about the days before, when the worst of their worries was dull weaponry and shitty food. Ray doesn't have ti o look over to tell the redhead is crying, and he doesn't have to wipe his face to know he is too. His own dreams are empty, unlike Michael's, and he's glad for that, because if they were like his reality Ray doubts he'd be able to go on. His sleep is his sanctuary. 

When Michael finishes speaking, he stands up abruptly and apologises for 'wasting Ray's time, crying like a fucking baby.' The younger man responds by pulling him back down and telling him about how, if he doesn't focus hard enough, his mind will find a way back to it, and then he's fucked until someone else brings him out again. It's comforting, knowing Michael understands. 

After, the two sit in silence once more. It's heavier than it was before, weighed down by their words, but their own hearts are just a little bit closer to being healed.

-

Michael tells Ray he wants to die a week later. Ray tells him he's strong, and that he can make it through. For Gavin. The next night he sees a familiar shape, perched on a mountain. He climbs up to join Michael and the two sit there until the sun comes up.

-

They spent seven months looking for him, turning over every stone and diving into every cave. The night Ryan came back half-dead after a full two days of searching, they gave up. Later, Michael sobbed into Ray's shirt for hours, because he'd finally accepted that Gavin was dead.

-

Geoff finds the man who took him a year later, when the scars have mostly healed and they can all trust themselves to hunt alone. He's wandering the surface aimlessly, blinking at everything. He doesn't realize it at first, even invites him back, but unfocused eyes zero in on his face, his arms, blink, and then narrow. 

"You're Geoff." Blink. "Tattoos? He talked about those a lot." Blink, blink. "Geoff. Geoff. Always yelled that when he was near fire. Ray was for the sharp things, and Michael...was when he slept...? Yes, and of course when..." He blinked, then grinned with an alarmingly yellow set of teeth. "Gavin Free. That was his name, wasn't it? Clever boy. Our best Creeper-Human experiment. Shame what happened. But he nearly got out again, and we couldn't have that." He draws a line across his neck, then blinks not once, but twice, possibly at the sword in his chest.

Geoff leaves his body there to rot.

-

"I loved him, Ray."

"I know, Michael. I know." The unspoken words hang in the space between them; I did too.

-

Two years later, Ray sits by the grave of his best friend and talks. Talks about how losing him was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, that he still has nightmares that he wakes up from with an hole in his chest. But now he has someone there to fill it. He talks about how maybe, if he was still around, the three of them could've been together. They would've made it work. 

"I guess I have you to thank." He says with a sad smile. "I know you don't mind - you're not that kind of person, right? Or...You weren't." He pauses to take in the scenery one last time. "Michael was here earlier, and I'm sure he told you, but just in case, we're, uh. Leaving Achievement City. Jack, Geoff and Ryan too. Moving to somewhere bigger. I've told you about Geoff's girl, right? She's nice. Where she lives. They're getting married this summer." Another pause, this time so Ray can sigh. "But we can't take your grave with us. We need to leave you behind. And...I'm not sure I'm ready. But that'a never stopped me before. Maybe we'll come back here someday. Maybe not. But...You'll always be my Vav. Always be Michael's boi." He straightens up, smiles, and gives a mock salute. "See you around, Gavin. Wait for us up there - we're waiting for you."

Then he turns and walks away into the warm arms of Michael, and lets himself cry as his heart breaks over Gavin Free for the very last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was way more angsty than i expected. also, more mayvin was meant to happen. i dont even know whatthis is..im sorry


End file.
